


After the Storm

by deathishauntedbyhumans



Series: EoNA [2]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Brief mentions of unconsciousness, Character Study, Gen, Kender, Vanara, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 20:44:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18645781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathishauntedbyhumans/pseuds/deathishauntedbyhumans
Summary: After travelling by boat out on the ocean for a few weeks, a storm causes Pep and the rest of the EoNA gang to crash on the shore of a large rock-island. Pep is knocked out in the crash. When he wakes up, he’s up and ready to explore, although admittedly with a nagging ache in his head.





	After the Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ragtag_slyboots](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ragtag_slyboots/gifts).



When he comes to, it’s hard to remember exactly what happened to put him into a state of unconsciousness. Pep finds himself lying on the deck of the ship, covered halfway with what seems to be some kind of tarp, and he can see Manko’s back when he turns his head to the side.

Water runs off the tarp in mesmerising rivulets when Pep sits up, and he watches them, entranced for a moment, before looking back to Manko. It’s still raining, he notices, taking stock of more of the situation. It isn’t nearly as windy as it had been when he’d crumpled onto the deck, though, and while his head hurts some, the lack of bright light from any visible sun is currently a welcome reprieve.

“Manko!” he exclaims. It’s only slightly more subdued than his usual excitement, on account of the ache in his skull. He hopes that’ll go away soon. It’s altogether very unpleasant.

The vanara in question doesn’t exactly _jump_ when Pep speaks up, but he does shift a little like he’s been surprised. “Oh, good,” he says without looking up. He doesn’t _sound_ like he’s very happy, despite the words that he’s saying, but Pep knows he’s glad on the inside. This is just how Manko is, he’s realised over the course of their expedition. “You’re awake.”

“What happened?”

Manko breathes out harshly. “There was a storm. We crashed into some rocks. You got hit in the head with a bunch of rope.” Pep waits for him to continue. Manko… doesn’t continue.

“Oh,” Pep says.

“Yeah. There were a bunch of villagers around, and then, everyone else just left.”

Pep frowns. They might all still be new friends by technicality, but he feels like he’s gotten to know them all pretty well in the last few weeks they’ve spent together. Just running off and leaving Manko (and Pep, but he doesn’t blame them, since he’d been… y’know, unconscious) behind sounds a lot _meaner_ than he would have ever expected from any of them.

“Why would they do that?”

Manko still hasn’t turned to face him. “I don’t _know_ ,” he bites out, and Pep isn’t quite sure _why_ it’s there, but there’s definitely a bitter resentment in Manko’s tone now. “I saw them all walking away and I didn’t feel like following, so I stayed here.”

Pep pushes the tarp off of himself and wiggles carefully away from the ropes still trailing along the deck near him. He’s definitely going to be watching _those_ in the future, just in case they get any more bright ideas about falling on his head. “We should go find them!”

“I’m staying with the ship.” The answer comes immediately, and Pep’s brow furrows.

“But—“ he begins, an argument on the tip of his tongue. Manko finally turns to glare at him —only his head whips around, not the rest of him— and shuts him up by interrupting.

“No. I’m not going out there while the boat is… Anything could happen. It could sink any second. I’m staying here.”

Pep blinks. Alright, then. Manko is staying here. “I’ll tell you what happens?” he offers, because he _is_ Manko’s first mate, and that feels like something a first mate should do.

“Sure.”

Pep stands up and hesitates, because Manko still has his head turned towards him, and he looks angry. He’s not staring straight at Pep, though. Instead, his gaze has drifted beyond him, to the rocky shore the boat has been docked upon.

“You don’t want to go find them,” Pep ventures slowly. “But you still seem angry. Why?”

Another harsh breath, louder than the first, and Manko’s gaze snaps back to Pep. “I don’t _know_ ,” he says again, inflection slightly different than before. Pep just barely registers the sarcasm. “I was paid a _little_ bit of money—“ He pinches his thumb and forefinger together near his face dramatically. “—to get you all to Mekhe. And now we’re stranded here, and we’re _lost,_ and I have no idea how we’re going to get out of here.”

In all the time they’ve spent together so far, Manko has never sounded so… _hopeless._ Yeah, he’s mad, but he’s mad because he’s… scared, probably.

Pep isn’t scared. He’s never known fear; he has no idea how that would even begin. But he knows that most other people —people who aren’t kender— know fear pretty often, and he feels bad for them. Fear sounds just about as unpleasant as the headache he’s still nursing.

So Pep shakes his head and straightens himself up. “We’ll find a way,” he says. The simple confidence in his voice is as genuine as he always is, because he just _knows_ that it’s true. Even if it keeps on raining, even if he gets hit in the head with more rope… They’ll figure something out. There’s always a next step, because that’s just how life is. “I know we will.”

Manko gives a derisive snort, but he doesn’t otherwise argue, so Pep doesn’t feel a need to elaborate. Instead, he pats at his pouches to make sure they’re all there and intact, and then reaches over to pat Manko’s shoulder.

“I’ll tell you what happens,” he repeats. It’s a promise without saying the words _I promise,_ because really, that’s not necessary when Pep already knows he’s promising.

“Sure,” Manko says, and he sounds like the winds have left his sails. “I’m going to take a nap.”

Pep gives a big smile. “That’s what I did!” he says, gesturing to the now-empty pile of rope and the tarp that’s now slowly gathering rainwater on the deck of the ship.

When he looks back at Manko, he’s surprised to find a hint of a smile on his face. It reaches his eyes, which Pep appreciates, because it’s his personal opinion that everyone looks better when they can let themselves smile. Pep’s own grin gets bigger, especially when Manko nods and says wryly, “You sure did.”

Pep repeats his promise to himself twice more in his head ( _tell Manko what happens and where the others are, tell Manko what happens and where the others are)_ as he makes his way to the side of the ship where a rope is tethered, and then waves to Manko. Manko doesn’t wave back, but Pep is pretty sure he’s still smiling, so it’s still good.

His head still hurts when he makes contact with the solid rock beneath his feet, but it’s easy enough to spot a human-looking man with a fishing net a little ways away from the boat. Pep makes his way towards the stranger with a smile already on his face, because maybe _this_ stranger is a conversation away from becoming a friend, just like the rest of his friends! And, more importantly… this stranger might know where his friends _are_ right now. Pep hopes that he will. After all, he can only tell Manko what’s going on if he manages to figure it out for himself, first.

**Author's Note:**

> Manko belongs to ragtag_slyboots. 
> 
> Kudos/comments are love! Come scream at me on tumblr @deathishauntedbyhumans.


End file.
